Gamjatang (Spicy Pork Bone Soup) | 감자탕
Pronounced: Gahm-Jah Tahng
What: Mom’s recipe of a traditional, spicy Korean soup made from pork spine or neck bones. The soup is flavored by the bone broth and classic traditional Korean spices, then garnished with aromatic greens and seasonings.
Taste: Meaty, spicy, herby (due to the perilla leaves), savory, and hearty!
How It’s Made: Submerge pork in water for 30 min. Drain. Rinse. Boil pork in water for 5 minutes. Drain. Rinse. Pressure cook for 15 min. Transfer to large pot. Put everything in there. Cook for about 40 minutes on medium-high heat, but take out the potatoes when they are fully cooked. Garnish then serve.
What to Serve it With: Rice and any side dishes you like!
Notes & Tips:
Not all grocery stores carry pork neck bones. Call ahead and ask your grocery store. I find pork neck bones at Food 4 Less which is a grocery store located in California.
This recipe uses an instant pot to pressure cook.
Gamjatang (Spicy Pork Bone Soup) | 감자탕
Ingredients:
- 3 lbs pork neck bones
- 6 potatoes, peeled (submerge in water to prevent discoloration)
- 2 small ginger, peeled and sliced (54g)
- 2 Tbsp Dasida Beef Stock Powder (We use CJ Dasida)
- 1/3 cup Three Crab Fish Sauce
- 1/3 cup Korean Red Pepper Flakes*
- 3 Tbsp Korean Soybean Paste (We use Sempio) (104g)*
- 3 Tbsp Korean Red Pepper Paste (We use Sempio) (121g)*
- 3 Heaping Tbsp perilla powder
- Garnish: green onions, sesame leaves, and more perilla powder
Instructions:
- We need to clean the meat first. Submerge 3 lb of pork neck bones in water so that it's fully covered for 20 minutes. Blood will come out. Drain and rinse each pork neck bone under cold running water. Repeat— submerge in water for 20 minutes, drain, and rinse under running water.
- Second cleaning step: Add pork neck bones into your instant pot (can be a regular pot too). Add water so that everything is just covered (exact water amount doesn’t matter since it will be drained). Let it come to a boil, and let it cook in boiling water for just 5 minutes. Drain, and rinse under cold running water.
- Add pork neck bones and sliced ginger into the instant pot. Add water so that everything is just covered beneath water. This varies on your pot size, we used about 9 cups of water (2110g). Pressure cook for 15 minutes and then release the steam.
- Do not discard anything in the pot. Transfer the pork neck bones, ginger, and now broth into a very large pot. Add 6 peeled potatoes. Add more water so that everything is just covered beneath water. This varies on your pot size, we added in about 7 & 1/2 cups of more water (1823g). Add in seasonings to large pot: 2 Tbsp Dasida Beef Stock Powder (We use CJ Dasida), 1/3 cup Three Crab Fish Sauce, 1/3 cup Korean Red Pepper Flakes, 3 Tbsp Korean Soybean Paste (We use Sempio) (104g), 3 Tbsp Korean Red Pepper Paste (We use Sempio) (121g), and 3 Heaping Tbsp perilla powder.
- Cook the soup over medium high heat for 45 minutes. Check the potatoes every 15 minutes, and take them out once fully cooked (a chopstick should be able to through it). We don't want to overcook the potatoes.
- To serve: pour soup with meat and broth into a serving bowl. Garnish with chopped green onions, sesame leaves, and perilla powder. Then, pour broth over all of that. Serve with rice and enjoy!
Notes:
Instructions with visuals
We need to clean the meat first.
Submerge 3 lb of pork neck bones in water so that it's fully covered for 20 minutes. Blood will come out. Drain and rinse each pork neck bone under cold running water. Repeat— submerge in water for 20 minutes, drain, and rinse under running water.
Add pork neck bones into your instant pot (can be a regular pot too). Add water so that everything is just covered (exact water amount doesn’t matter since it will be drained). Let it come to a boil, and let it cook in boiling water for just 5 minutes. Drain, and rinse under cold running water.
Add pork neck bones and sliced ginger into the instant pot. Add water so that everything is just covered beneath water. This varies on your pot size, we used about 9 cups of water (2110g). Pressure cook for 15 minutes and then release the steam.
Do not discard anything in the pot. Transfer the pork neck bones, ginger, and now broth into a very large pot. Add 6 peeled potatoes. Add more water so that everything is just covered beneath water. This varies on your pot size, we added in about 7 & 1/2 cups of more water (1823g). Add in seasonings to large pot:
2 Tbsp Dasida Beef Stock Powder (We use CJ Dasida)
1/3 cup Three Crab Fish Sauce
1/3 cup Korean Red Pepper Flakes
3 Tbsp Korean Soybean Paste (We use Sempio) (104g)
3 Tbsp Korean Red Pepper Paste (We use Sempio) (121g)
3 Heaping Tbsp perilla powder
Cook the soup over medium high heat for 45 minutes. Check the potatoes every 15 minutes, and take them out once fully cooked (a chopstick should be able to through it). We don't want to overcook the potatoes. Store leftover potatoes in the fridge and add to hot soup when ready to serve.
To serve: pour soup with meat and broth into a serving bowl. Garnish with chopped green onions, sesame leaves, and perilla powder. Then, pour broth over all of that. Serve with rice and enjoy!